We have nothing at all, my cube is next to the back stairs and thats not secured at all so its not at all uncommon to have some random person wandering around looking for folks/offices not even in our building. No locks, no cameras, no employee only signs-nothing

Remember this motto to live by: "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO- HOO what a ride!'"

Note: I am not in City Hall nor a Courts building
We have a security team that patrols the halls, parking lots, etc., but they aren't police. They also watch the only 2 entrances that are open before 8:00, and don't let people in who don't have a city badge. We are in the same building with building inspections/plans review and code enforcement, so there are a lot of people in and out all day. Security is rarely called to remove loud people, but both our secretaries know the direct code into the security office.
We have key-coded doors into the back doors and "staff only" areas, but a determined person can access the cafeteria or bathrooms with no security. If you want to roam the halls you can, but eventually someone will ask you what you're up to.
The Planning Commission meeting has an armed police presence every week. Usually only one, but more will come if it's a controversial item or just lots of people. They stand dow close to the front, visible to all.

All this doesn't really make me feel secure. I have a window onto the street (can't be opened), but someone could break it with something strong, I'm sure. There are a lot of windows along street level on both sides of the building. Also, even with patrolling security in the parking lots, some people's cars are still vandalized. I guess the thieves are pretty quick! I hope they don't get my car - which is in the far lot until I get a parking pass to the close one.

"We do not need any other Tutankhamun's tomb with all its treasures. We need context. We need understanding. We need knowledge of historical events to tie them together. We don't know much. Of course we know a lot, but it is context that's missing, not treasures." - Werner Herzog, in Archaeology, March/April 2011

...But then again this is Detroit so we don't have much crime anyways.

Har de har.

When I worked for Detroit's planning & development department, the building was open to anyone. Security guard at the front desk, mostly to serve as a greeter. Elevators too. Anyone could reach our 13th (no kidding) floor office. Open window with a couple of admins; someone intent on mayhem could vault the counter and head back to cube row. (Of course they'd have had to contend with psycho admin b!|c# and her "no weapons in the office" issues.)

Now, going to city hall for a public hearing...over there they had TSA-style screeners, metal detectors, etc. etc. I had a P&DD ID card, but the guards didn't recognize me every week. Finally my supervisor explained how to get a special city hall ID, and that became a walk-through.

Here in GR, all the city office locations are open to everyone, and there are no barriers of any kind.

To get into my cell tower office building, I've been issued a door key. There's an alarm for night, and the last person to leave sets it.

We don't have security in our office to speak of. There is a city policeman (DARE officer) most days on the ground floor, but he is not screening people. Due to a rearrangement of offices, right now our department's permitting office and adminstrative staff are on a different floor than the planners. When someone wants to see a planner, we come upstairs to them.

We have a branch of the Minnieappolis Federal Reserve in town. Now there is security! Sometimes you see guards patrolling the grounds with semi-automatic rifles and shotguns.

"I am very good at reading women, but I get into trouble for using the Braille method."

Keypads for all office areas outside of reception areas, kepyads for certain offices, panic buttons at every workstation and office.

Security has become much more serious in NH municipalities, particularly after THIS.

"Growth is inevitable and desirable, but destruction of community character is not. The question is not whether your part of the world is going to change. The question is how." -- Edward T. McMahon, The Conservation Fund

I work for a County... and our security is heavy. We have cameras all over the place, police, metal detectors, you need photo ID to enter and get name tag. Receptionist must buzz you in on each floor to enter floor from elevator lobby. I am not even allowed on all floors and through all doors. It is harder to get around our office building than the NYS capital. We do house some sensitive info on indentified terrorist targets...but I think you can probably get some of this same info online.... It is awful to forget your ID...can't get around the building.

Fat Cat

I worked at one place that had cameras, pass card for doors, etc and then an employee came in and shot the place up killing another employee,
The aftermath was literally a joke in how the employees were treated including the so called counseling that was provided.
A siege mentality does not guarantee safety

I'm just waiting for someone to come in and go batshit crazy on us. The closest thing we have to security are the cops that have to go to municipal court on our floor to testify or take someone into custody following sentencing.

"Oh, that is all well and good, but, voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."

The security for the building is pretty basic (read - it's wide open - one security guy downstairs and that's it). The three floors that we have in the building, however, are locked down.

I'll be at three of our D.C. area office in late July, though, where I understand we have a large enough security force to fight off a small army (read - they'll be fine if Canada ever declares war on the company).

I found you a new motto from a sign hanging on their wall…"Drink coffee: do stupid things faster and with more energy"

Keycards and panic buttons, and these are the norm in the area (Greater Vancouver). I've never seen a 'closed' instead of 'open' receptionist/teller window--that's a bit more MoneyMart than Municipal Government.

edit: Oh, and security cameras in the underground parking, but none in the actual building.

Originally posted by Bubba

I'll be at three of our D.C. area office in late July, though, where I understand we have a large enough security force to fight off a small army (read - they'll be fine if Canada ever declares war on the company).

The doors are only locked at night, except for the exterior door which goes directly to our department, which is locked all day long, which only staff members with keys have access to. The interior door from the lobby into the offices used to be unlocked, but then they locked it, and now it's unlocked again (partly because of me, since I don't have a key, as well as several other people who need to get in but don't have keys). So really, any nutjob could walk right in and access all the offices during the workday if they really wanted to. The reception windows are also very large and wide open and the counters can be easily jumped. We've had a few angry people in the past, but nothing too bad yet.

However, the village hall is located in the same building as the police department, so if there was an emergency, the police could be up in less than a minute.

No police presence whatsoever at meetings, unless there happens to be a police matter on the agenda or if the police clerk is the one taking notes.

Sounds like a good idea. Personally, I prefer to not worry about things that have a far less chance of happening than being killed in a car crash..... just and observation. Hey, where's the ... "I'm not driving home due to the odds of dying in a crash" thread?

"And all this terrible change had come about because he had ceased to believe himself and had taken to believing others. " - Leo Tolstoy